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Harvey G. Shafer
HARVEY G. SHAFER, of Red Bank township, Armstrong county, is an extensive
dealer in produce, giving most of his time and attention to that business, and
he is also interested in farming, raising only a percentage, however, of the
vegetables, fruits, etc., which he handles.His home is in Red Bank township, where the family has long been settled,
and where he was born in a log house near New Salem, Aug. 10, 1866. Samuel
Shafer, his great-grandfather, was an early settler in western Pennsylvania,
and was a farmer by occupation.Christian Shafer, son of Samuel, was born in Northampton county, Pa., and
located in Armstrong county in young manhood, becoming one of the prosperous
farmers of this region. He and his wife, Magdalena (Fueringer), had twelve
children (of whom seven survive): Lewis; George, who died in infancy; John C.,
deceased; Israel; Samuel, deceased; Levi, who died young; Susanna; Elizabeth;
Mary, who died young; Catherine; Caroline, and Sarah. The father died in 1881,
the mother surviving until 1893. They were consistent members of the
Evangelical Church.Israel Shafer, son of Christian, was born May 1, 1845, in Red Bank
township, Armstrong Co., Pa., and was educated in the public schools of Red
Bank township and at Dayton Academy. In 1863 he enlisted in Company G, 78th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served capably until the close of the
war. Two of his brothers, Lewis and John, were also Union soldiers, both being
in the same regiment as he. Returning to Armstrong county after the close of
the war, Mr. Shafer engaged in farming in Red Bank township, and in 1886
entered the wholesale produce business at Kittanning, in which line he has
been engaged ever since. He has been very successful in this undertaking, and
ranks among the prosperous business men of the county. In 1899 he was the
Republican candidate for county treasurer, and was elected by a good majority,
serving one term of three years in that office. On Sept. 30, 1911, he was
nominated by his party as a candidate for county commissioner, was elected,
and is now filling that office.On Jan. 25, 1866, Mr. Shafer married Catherine Shick, daughter of John
Shick, of Armstrong county. Mr. And Mrs. Shafer became the parents of nine
children: Harvey G., Amos C., William (deceased), Reed, Lillian (deceased),
Nellie R. (wife of Dr. J. D. Sedwick, a dentist), Wallace H., and two who died
in infancy. Mrs. Shafer died in 1890, and is buried at New Salem. The entire
family early became members of the Evangelical Church, to which Mr. Shafer is
a liberal contributor.Harvey G. Shafer was educated in the schools of Red Bank township. He
worked for his father on the farm where he still makes his home, and to which
the family came from Dry Ridge when Harvey was four years old. He has been
here ever since. The property consists of eighty-six acres, seven still in
timber. There is an old orchard four acres in extent, and a new orchard of ten
acres planted in 1907 with winter fruit Mr. Shafer believes in the economy of
improving his surroundings and his home contains all of the up-to-date
appliances, while his farm is well equipped for present-day farming. The house
he occupies was built by his father in 1884. In his earlier manhood Mr. Shafer
spent about three winters working in the mines, there being little to do on
the farm at that time of the year, but he has been in the produce business for
twenty-three years, buying most of his stuff in carload lots. His farm is
operated by hired help entirely, Mr. Shafer devoting his energies principally
to the produce business, of which he has made so pronounced a success. He
makes a specialty of handling apples, potatoes and hay, by the carload only.Mr. Shafer is a Republican and has been very active in the work of the
party. He was a member of the county committee for twelve years, and served
three years as judge of election. He is a member of the Evangelical Church at
New Salem, in Red Bank township, Armstrong county.On May 18, 1888, Mr. Shafer married Elizabeth Shick, who was born in Red
Bank township Oct. 2, 1869, daughter of John M. Shick, and there received her
education. She remained at home until her marriage. Mr. And Mrs. Shafer have
had children born as follows: Grace, Nov. 18, 1889 (married to Charles
Kunselman, of Mahoning township; they have one child, Percy William, born Nov.
8, 1911); Harry Calvin, July 23, 1891 (married Ocie Kunselman, and they have
one child, Martha Elizabeth, born March 16, 1913); Dessie Pearl, Feb. 12, 1893
(died April 24, 1895); Boyd D., Oct. 9, 1894; Elsie May, Sept. 13, 1896; Katie
Ruth, March 16, 1898; William Reed, April 11, 1901 (died April 1, 1913); Perry
Paul, Oct. 22, 1903; Ruby Estella, Feb. 23, 1904; Charles Theodore, Jan. 29,
1906; Nellie Aldine and Della Geraldine, twins, Dec. 8, 1907; Clarence Armour,
Sept. 28, 1910.Jacob Shick, grandfather of Mrs. Shafer, was a farmer, and came to this
section from Northumberland county, settling in sugar valley, Red Bank
township, where he bought a tract of 140 Acres. He cleared the land, built a
log house and barn, and carried on general farming all the rest of his life.
To him and his wife Elizabeth (Mohney), daughter of Adam Mohney, were born the
following children: Rebecca married Lewis Mohney of Clarion county (both are
deceased); Adam married Mary Kunselman, of Red Bank township (both are
deceased); John M. is mentioned below; Christopher, of Red Bank township,
married Sarah Lankard, who is deceased; Susanna married Jacob Miller, of
Mahoning township (both are deceased); Frederick married Sarah Kunselman, of
Detroit; Elizabeth died aged sixty-two years; Tina married Jacob Wineburg, of
Michigan (both are deceased); Annie married Adam Mohney, and both are
deceased. The father lived to the age of eighty-two years; the mother died in
the house built by him. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Steinmetz
Lutheran Church, near Hawthorn, Clarion county, Pennsylvania.John M. Shick, son of Jacob, was born July 4, 1840, in what is called sugar
valley, in Red Bank township, near Hawthorn. He was educated in the schools of
the township, and worked for his father on the farm until twenty-one years
old. He remained on the farm and took care of his father and crippled sister,
and he inherited the farm from his father, continuing to follow farming all
his life. His first marriage was to Sophia Miller, daughter of Christopher
Miller, and they had children: Amanda married Jacob George, of Red Bank
township; Ambrose, at Pittsburgh, married Della Hoch, who is deceased; Lydia
died when two years old; Elizabeth, who was born in the old log house on the
farm, married Harvey G. Shafer; Elsie married William Gruber, of Red Bank
township; Theodore died in infancy. The mother of these died in 1873, and is
buried at the Brick Church at Hawthorn. She was a Lutheran in religion. Mr.
Shick subsequently married (second) Sophia Rinard, daughter of Reuben and
Angeline (Gruber) Rinard, and they had the following children: Angeline May
married Calvin Copenhaver, of Pierce, Red Bank township; Clara married Raymond
Troutman, of Red Bank township; Jesse, of Red Bank township, married Amanda
Rearick; Charles, of Red Bank township, married Carrie Boddorf; Earl, of Red
Bank township, this county, married Pearl Huffman; Catherine married Ralph
Shaffer, of Red Bank, Armstrong county; Orpha and Irene live at home; Alva is
now (1913) twenty-one years old. Mr. Shick was formerly a Democrat in
politics, later becoming aRepublican. He was active in township affairs, serving as school director,
overseer of the poor and treasurer. He was a member of the Evangelical church,
to which Mrs. Shick also belongs, and he was one of the foremost workers in
the church, holding the offices of trustee, elder, steward and class leader.
He went out among the people and held prayer meetings, and his devotion was
rewarded by excellent results.Mr. Shick died in February, 1910, and is buried
in the Union cemetery at Hawthorn.
Source: Page(s) PAGES 348-349,
Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers &
Co., 1914Transcribed July 1998 by Pat Godesky for the Armstrong County Beers Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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